William ii



(No Model.)

W. H. ATWOOD.

v HAT HOLDER. N0. 359,953. Patented Mar. 22, 1887.

mvzwom 'BY MW ATTORNEYS.

WITNESSES PA'rnNr @rrrcn.

\VILLlAllI H. ATXVOOD, OF HUDSON, NEW YORK.

HAT-HOLDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 359,953, dated March 22, 1887.

Application filed November 16, 1886. Serial X0. 2l9,017. (X0 model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM H. A'rwooi), of Hudson,in the county ofGolumbia and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved HatlIolder, of which thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to bat holders de signed to be temporarily adjusted for use by travelers in railroadcars and other public conveyances; and the object of the invention is to improve the construction of hat-holders of this character.

The invention consists iii-making such holders with spring-arms for more securely retain ing the holders in position for use.

The invention also consists in parts and details and combinations of the same, as will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures. 1 Figure 1 is a front view of one of my improved hat-holders, showing it fastened to a molding or strip at the side of a car-window. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same on the line as w of Fig. 1. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 illustrate modifications of the device, Fig. abeing a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 3.

Referring particularly to the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2, a; a are the springarms for fastening and retaining the device in position for use. The device is made of a continuous piece of wire bent to form the loop or arm I), the spirals c c, and the spring-arms can, before mentioned, the said arms being passed through the loop I), so that the sides of the said loop b will exert a pressure on the arms a a, thereby giving the said arms a spring action to more firmly hold the devicein position. The outer free ends of the arms a a are bent inwardly toward each other and pointed, the pointed ends enabling the device to be readily secured to a molding or other projection near a car-window or other convenient place by a slight pressure of the fingers. The cross-bar d lends stability to the device, and acts to steady the same when fastened in position for use. The enlarged ends 8 e of the cross-bar d prevent holder,

loop or arm b the said bar from being freed from the and also act to brace the sides of the against the outward pressure of the arms a a when the said arms are distended to grasp or embrace awide strip or projection. The device, when constructed, as above described, of a single piece of wire, should be formed of not very heavy wire, but be of a strength sufficient to allow the loop or arm 2) to be borne down to a suitable angle by the weight of the average hat. The spring action of the spirals c 0 must, however, be sufficient to return the loop or arm I) to its normal position upon the removal of the hat therefrom. If desired, the arms a a may be made from spring material, and not depend for their spring action entirely on the pressure of the sides of the loop b.

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 4., the springarms a a are formed from a continuous piece of wire, as in the construction just described, which wire has been bent to form the crossbar f; but in the present instance the wire forming the hat-holding arm or loop is not a continuation of that forming the spring-arms, as in the construction first described, the loop and the springarnisin the present case being in separate pieces. Around the crossbar f are spirally wound the ends of the wire forming the hatholding loop or arm 5 the extreme ends 5; of said spirals being bent inwardly in a direction approaching each other and away from the sides of the loop, so that the said ends y will strike against the web or rib i and the cross-bar f when the loop 9 is swung down in position for use, which is the position shown in full lines. The dotted lines in Fig. 4 show the position of the loop when the same is swung or folded onto the arms a a. In this instance the arms a a are made of spring-wire, in lieu of receiving the pressure of the loop, as in the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2.

In the modification shown in Fig. 5,instead of providing the cross-bar of the spring-arms with a downwardly-projecting web or rib, the cross-bar is bent outward or downward a short distance from each arm a to form the extension j. In this case the wire forming the hatholding arm or loop is be-ntto form the crossbar Z, is then passed around the cross-bar of the spring-arms adjacent to the said arms, as at m m, and extended to form the hat-holding loop is, the ends of the wire being twisted together to form the free end of and complete the said loop. With this last-described construction it is evident that as the loop his swung downward its motion will be arrested by the lower portion or crossbar, Z, of the said loop coming in contact with the exten sion or outwardly-bent portion j of the crossbar of the spring-arms a a, and may be swung back within the said springarms when not in use.

With the invention above described, when the points of the spring-arms are inserted in a molding or other projection, the spring ac tion keeps the device firmly in place, for the device cannot become displaced by any slight jar or shock, but only by the l'orceof the spring action of the arms being overcome.

It will thus be seen that the device forms a very reliable and convenient hat-holder, which is especially useful for travelers in railroad trains and other public conveyances. The device is also well adaptedfor temporary use in theaters, restaurants, &c., and may be conveniently carried in ones pocket when not in actual use.

It will be understood that the device may be made of material other than wire; but the latter is preferred for various reasons.

The spring-pressure of the fastening arms a a maybe provided for by an unyielding band or ring encircling the same.

Iam aware that hat-holders have been constructed with the hat-holding member composed of spring-arms between which the hat is clamped; also, that it is old to construct holders with the hat-holding member adapted to spring against the pew or other place to which the holder is fastened.

the attaching-arms have aspring action, which enables the holder to retain its hold on the object to which it is attached, for the con tracting force of the attachingarms must be In myinvention overcome before the said arms will release their grasp. It will be seen, therefore, that -no slight jar will affect them.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A hat-holder consisting of inwardly-bent pointed attaching-arms having a spring action to better retain their hold on the object to which they are secured,;a hat-holding loop, and a crossbar at the junction of the attaching-arms and hat-holding loop and actingto steadythe device in the vertical position, substantially as shown and described.

the fastening-arms having a projection on the crossbar thereof, of a hat-holding arm, the

lower portion of which engages the projection on the cross-bar of the fastening-arms, substantially as shown and described.

3. In a hat-holder, the combination, with spring fastening arms having the outer bent ends thereofpointed and provided with a projection on the crossbar thereof, of a hat-hold ing arm or loop attached to said cross-bar at its lower end, the said lower endof the. hatholding arm being adapted to engage the projection of the crossbar of the fasteningarms,

substantially as shownand described.

- 4. A hat-holderconsisting of two springe arms adapted to be fastened toamolding or:

2. In a hat-holder, the combination, with. 

